marketable

One of the biggest marketing tools that professional sports entities have is the athletes themselves. Athletes produce the product, drive a large sector of merchandise, and are really the face of the sport. I wanted to look into the different players in the NHL and provide my opinion on who I think are the top 5 most marketable current players, and why I believe that. The top 5, in no particular order are:

Sidney Crosby: This is a pretty easy choice. Crosby is arguably the best player in the league. He’s a dynamic player—a game change—and he was the face of the league for a long time. Crosby already has a storied career at the age of 28. He captained the 2009 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (and was the youngest captain to do so), scored the gold medal winning goal for Canada against the U.S. in the 2010 Olympics, captained Team Canada to another gold medal at the 2014 Olympics, and led Team Canada to a gold medal in the 2015 World Championships. He has won two NHL MVP honors, five All-Star Game selections, three peer-voted best player awards, one goal scoring title, two overall scoring titles, and two leadership awards. He has also amassed 938 points in 707 games played. His resume is impressive, and he has unbelievable talent. On top of that, he carries himself well off the ice, always acting with utmost professionalism for the media. His professionalism and status as one of the game’s best players make Crosby an extremely marketable player.

Henrik Zetterberg: One unique aspect of the NHL is the large number of European-born players, adding to the leagues cultural diversity. Henrik Zetterberg of the Detroit Red Wings could be a great marketing tool for the NHL. Born in Sweden, Zetterberg can provide representation to a European audience, especially considering he is one of the most successful European players currently in the league. Zetterberg is the captain for one of hockey’s most storied franchises, he is a 2008 Stanley Cup champion, the 2008 Conn Smythe winner as playoff MVP, and has won gold medals with Team Sweden at the 2006 World Championships and 2006 Olympics. While he has had a lot of success in the league, what makes Zetterberg a marketable player is the work he does for his community. He is a winner of the NHL Foundation Player award, which is given to the player who applies the core values of hockey to enrich the lives of his community; and also the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is given to the player who exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice, and has made significant humanitarian contribution to his community. Zetterberg is known for collecting smoke detectors and canned food for those in need in the metro-Detroit area, as well as making frequent visits to metro-Detroit Children’s hospitals. The image of humanitarian, a European presence, and his impressive NHL resume all combine to make Zetterberg a versatile marketing tool.

Roberto Luongo: It’s good to include one goalie, right? What makes Luongo most valuable is his personality; he’s got a fantastic sense of humor. Don’t believe me? Watch this video. That type of personality makes him marketable in the sense that it makes him more personable and relatable; fans can feel a bigger connection to a player who is okay with letting loose and showing his silly side. While a lot of star players are always keeping a strict professional image on and off the ice, it’s refreshing to see a personality like Luongo’s. The NHL should use that personality to their advantage in marketing campaigns.

John Scott: Hear me out on this one. John Scott may not be the most skilled player, nor has he spent a full season in the NHL this year, however I’m not focusing on who I believe are the best players, just the most marketable players. And John Scott became marketable the moment the conspiracy to keep him out of the 2016 All-Star Game surfaced. Scott became a fan favorite, and that was further solidified by his All-Star Game performance and MVP honors for the game. In relation to my post about reaching a wider audience (i.e. female fans), Scott is extremely marketable as a family man. Fans immediately sympathized with his trade across the country with his wife expecting twins. His image as an unsung hero and family man is extremely relatable and marketable to a lot of people making Scott a valuable marketing chip.

Alexander Ovechkin: The inclusion of Ovechkin as a marketing tool, aligns most closely with the inclusion of Sidney Crosby. “Ovi” is one of the game’s most electrifying players, and one of the greatest goal scorers the NHL has ever seen. He has led the league in goal scoring 6 out of his 11 seasons in the NHL. He has amassed 525 goals and 966 points in 839 career games. He is third among active players in career goals, and 33rd all-time at the age of 30. With potentially 10 years left in the league, Ovechkin has the potential to become one the highest scoring players in NHL history. His potential for immortalizing himself in NHL history can be cleverly utilized by the NHL marketing team for promotional events and campaigns.

These are just the five players I feel should be the focus of promotional and marketing campaigns on the league. Again, this is just personal opinion so it is certainly up for debate.